After three days and 30 miles of walking the show floor, we came out of KBIS 2019 with tons of ideas to carry into 2019. There is no doubt that the industry is thriving, given the sheer amount of new products that will soon be hitting the consumer market.
Now that we're back, we want to share some of our favorite moments from the show. We found the NKBA Insiders talk the perfect way to distill the overwhelming amount of products on display at the show. It was a little capsule collection that highlighted the best of KBIS, and more than that, gave us a real idea of what we would be seeing in kitchen and bath showrooms in the coming months and years.
The two most functional rooms in the house, the kitchen and the bathroom, are becoming spaces that merge art and technology more and more seamlessly as the industry pushes the boundaries of design on all fronts.
Textures and finishes are being combined in novel ways that add a lot of personality. Mixing raw wood, finished woods, stone, tile and metals in the right way creates a truly unique space. See an example by @RichardA2Z here and another from Kohler here.
A few favorites
Everyday objects getting makeovers that are turning them into art. SMEG appliances co-designed with Dolce & Gabbana are the easiest example of this trend, but these sinks show that the consumer is ready for more avant-garde pieces in their homes.
In-home technology is becoming less intrusive as it is integrated directly into not only appliances, but into building materials themselves. Voice recognition is all the rage, with devices that can start your whole morning routine with a simple command.
We loved the Corian countertop with its wireless charging capabilities- imagine, not more cables in the kitchen.
We were equally impressed by the variable temperature wine fridges that communicate with the manufacturer when things aren't working perfectly; they send an email about the problem and will have the part ready to ship! Insider Ryan Herd's tech talk at KBIS 2019 was energizing!
KBIS 2019 was well worth the trip. We can't wait to see how these trends play out over the coming months and years in showrooms around North America.